Minor League Sports

BASKETBALL

American Basketball Association (San Diego, Orange County): The Strong Island Sound and Orlando Aces have dropped out of the ABA and the Jersey Express franchise is suffering from attendance problems. The Corning Bulldogs, who pulled out of the ABA last week, have apparently moved to Elmira (NY) as the Elmira Bulldogs and the team will be part of the 2008 season in the National Professional Basketball League that starts play in March. The Northeast-based ABA teams in Vermont, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Boston, Manchester and Westchester recently participated in a conference to assure that each team would be able to complete its remaining schedule.

Women's National Basketball Association (Los Angeles): The WBNA announced its 2008 season, which will feature a break from late July to late August to accommodate players participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The yet-to-be-named Atlanta expansion franchise will be added to the Eastern Conference, which will increase to seven teams like the Western Conference. The WNBA's other 13 teams will all return for the league's 12th season.

FOOTBALL

All American Football League: The new AAFL plans to start play in April 2008 and announced the six teams that will participate in the inaugural draft-Team Alabama, Team Arkansas, Team Florida, Team Michigan, Team Tennessee and Team Texas.

United Football League: UFL officials were in Orlando to try to arrange a deal for the Florida Citrus Bowl as a home. The UFL has secured four franchise owners that will be announced next month, but no one has yet purchased the Orlando franchise. The league hopes to start with 12 teams next August.

HOCKEY

- Professional Inline Hockey Association: The PIHA Pro Division has started its 2007-08 season with 42 teams. The 19-team Western Conference is split into Gateway, Rocky Mountain, Pacific and Southwest divisions, while the 23-team Eastern Conference consists of Northeast, Atlantic, Mason Dixon and Southeast divisions. Some of the more interesting team nicknames are the Cincinnati Flying Monkeys, Chicago Untouchables and Harrisburg Lunatics.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer (LA, Chivas): St. Louis and Philadelphia are considered the top choices for the league's 16th franchise that is expected to be announced early in 2008. The league hopes the selected location would be able to start play in 2009 when a Seattle team is set to join. The MLS reportedly will expand to 18 teams by 2010 or 2011 and recently announced investors for a possible Atlanta franchise and a second franchise in the New York City area. The league was also talking with the city of Miami about funding for a soccer stadium that could be part of a project with a Florida Marlins baseball stadium on the current site of the Orange Bowl. Kansas City officials recently approved a special tax incentive for a redevelopment plan in the Bannister Mall area that is to include a new soccer stadium for the Kansas City Wizards.